johhston



e. wl' JOHNSTON. APPARATUS FO COMPRESSING AIR. APPLICATION F-ILED SEPT. 29, |9I9| 1,420,845. Patented June 27, 1922.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET l.

G. W. JOHNSTON.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AIR.

APPLICATION mso SEPT. 29. |919.

1,420,845, Patented @1.027, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNEY fina .APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING A1B.

headset.

Application filed September 29, 1819.

T 0 all w 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, (tnonenV. donn s'roN, a citizen ot the United States, and resident of St. Joseph, county of Buchanan, StateI of ,h/lissouri, have invented a certain. new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Compressing Air, of which the following is a complete specification. n

This invention relates to apparatus vfor compressing air and for treating the same after it has been compressed, and one ofy the objects in view is to provide an air-compressing apparatus adapted to be operated by either air or water current and to suitably store the compressed air product as it is compressed by said apparatus.

It is further sought to devise an apparatus of this character by the operation of which air is stored at a higher pressure and at a minimum expenditure of power, the compressed air product being designed 'for power-supply purposes.

With these general objects iny view, the invention will now be described with relierence to the accompanying ldrawing illustrating one suitable form of thel embodiment of the improvement, after which the novel features therein will be set forth in the appended claims. l

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention; v

Figure 2 is a brokenlplan -view of the power wheel, with the top,y and vanes removed;

Figure 3 is a section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure Llis an enlarged detailed section on the line 1 -lof Figure Referring to the drawings in detail, these illustrate the improved apparatus as comprising a base or foundation 6, adapted -to be supported for example upon the bed of a water course or, if desired, in position foroperation of the device by wind power. This foundation is vprovided with a ball-bearing structure 8 at its top for ournaling a power wheel which comprises a cylindrical housing `10, rotating about a central cylinder structure, embodying a cylinder 12 with oppositely moving pistons 14 therein, having rollers 16 moving in grooves or raceways 18 on the interior facing of the housing 10, the pins 2O carrying said rollers operating Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2?, H122.

Serial No. 327,186.

in guide slots 22ormed in. the cylinder walls. Each of the opposite ends oi the cylinder is provided with an air inlet valve 2/1 controllingthe admission of air from an air duct 26, which communicates with the central airpassage 28 arranged in the anis 'at the wheel, an air duct 30 being arranged to conduit air to this passage 28 through the base 6 from any suitable poi-nt, preferably a point near the level of the water surface where the power wheel is operated in water submerged relation as illustrated in Figure 1. A check valve 32, controlled by a tension spring 34, is also provided for admitting air trom the passage 28 to an air-conipressing chamber 36 between the inner 'Faces or the pistons 1-t. Each piston 14 is further provided with a checkvalve 38, having an axial stem 40, and compression spring 42 `lor controlling the inward passage olf' air through the axial passagellflin each piston into the central chamber 3G. The stems Ll() of the valves 38 are sutliciently long to engage the heads of the cylinders at the outward limit of movement of the pistons for the purpose of opening said valves 38, as in Figure 3. Opposite the valve 32 is posi- -tioned a check valve 46 actuated by a compression spring 48, said valve regulating the discharge of the compressed air from the chamber 36 to a conduit 50 by which the compressed air is led oli to any suitable point for its use.

rlhe housing 10 is provided with a series ot propelling vanes, some ot which are ol 'hinge blade collapsible lorm, extending -radially outward, as illustrated at 52, Figure 1 lwhile others are ot curved blade term, varranged at upwardly and downwardly extending angular relation on opposite sides ol' the hinge blades, as illustrated at 54.-. lt is evident, of course, that if desired the vanes could be vremoved and the housing rotated by vbelt-power if such a change be found expedient at any time. Y

ln Figure 1, I illustrate the air conduit 50, as equipped with a regulating valve 51, and discharging into a reservoir 56 for storage purposes, from which the product may be drawn oli' as desired by way of a discharge pipe 58, fitted with the regulating valve 59. To the bottom of said reservoir 56 is connected a second storage tank 60, by means of a pipe 62, controlled by a valve 64, lor the purpose of allowing the liquid components of the contents of the reservoir 56 to drain ofi' and become stored in said tank 60, the latter being provided with an Voutlet pipe 66, fitted with a valve 68. third tank 70, is further provided for re-heating purposes, being connected with the tank 60 by means of a pipe 72, fitted with a valve 74, said tank 7() being also provided with an electrical heating coil 76 for heating the contents of said tank; also with a discharge pipe 78 and a valve 80, Under certain circumstances the reservoir 56 may also be equipped with a heating coil 82, and the several storage compartments described are also provided with suitable pressure gauges 84, and release valves 86.

In the operation off' the apparatus the power wheel is rotated by force transmittedthereto through the medium of currents moving in practically any direction, as by currents moving either horizontally, upwardly or downwardly, so that the wheel is actuated not only by the usual current flow, as of' a stream, but also by the rise and fall ot the water due to tides, winds, and the like. The rotation of the wheel actuates the pistons through the medium of the described connections, the approaching movement of the pistons drawing air in past the valves 24, and the separating movement of the pistons first compressing the air between the pistons and the cylinder heads, the strength of the springs`42 being sufficient to withstand both the vacuum action in the chamber 36, and the compressing force at the outer ends of the cylinder, until the valves 38 are opened by engagement of the stems 40 with the cylinder heads, whereupon the air is discharged into the central air chamber 36. The approaching movement of the pistons now inall compresses the air in said chamber and discharges the same past the valve: 46, into the conduit 50, after which the same operation is repeated indefinitely.

The air supply is taken preferably from a point near the surface ot' the water, as shown. where I find the air to be apparently richer in certain desired constituents valuable for power purposes, such. as oxygen and nitrogen compounds. The energy stored in the tank 56 may be drawn off for use direct through the pipe 58, the liquid settling in the tank 56 being allowed to pass into the tank 60 for use under emergency conditions, atwhich time the supply may be drawn into the tank 70, and reheated by the means shown, after which the supply may be taken out through the pipe 78, or allowed to pass back up into the tank 56 by way of the circulating valves 64 and 74. The coil 82 is provided for re-heating purposes under certain conditions where its use may be found expedient.

lVhile I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of construction, I desire to reserve the right to make such formal changes for modification as may fairly 'liall within the scope of thc appended claims.

IVhat I claim is:

1. An air-compressing apparatus comprising a power wheel composed of a ,rotating housing, a fixed cylinder within said housing provided with a piston reciprocated by the rotation of said housing, said cylinder providing air chambers at both ends of said piston, means for conducting air to the vchamber at one end of said piston, said piston having a valved passage admitting the air under pressure from said last chamber to the chamber at the other end o't the piston, and a check valve controllingr the passage of. air :from said last-mentioned chamber.

2. An air-compressing apparatus comprising a power wheel composed of a rotating housing, a fixed cylinder within said housing provided with a pair of oppositely moving pistons reciprocated by the rotation of said housing, said cylinder having an outer air chamber opposite the outer face of each of? said pistons, and said housing providing an inner air chamber between said pistons, means for conducting air to said outer chambers, Said pistons having valved passages admitting the air under pressure from said outer chambers to said inner chamber, and a check valve controlling the passage ot' air from said inner chamber.

3. An air-compressing apparatus comprising a power wheel composed of a rotating housing provided with curved vanes extending outward at various upward and downward angles for receiving a driving force from both upward and downward movements of the propelling medium, and a fixed cylinder within said housing provided with an aii-co1ii] n'essi1ig piston operated by the rotation of said housing. 4. An air-compressing apparatus comprising a. power wheel composed of` a rotating housing, a fixed cylinder within said housing provided with a piston reciprocated by the rotation of." said housing, said cylinder having air chambers at both ends of? said piston provided with check valves controllingthe passage of air into said chambers, said piston having a valved passage admitting air under pressure from one of said chambers to the other of said chambers, and a check valve controlling the passage of air from Said last-mentioned chamber.

5. An air-compressing apparatus comprising a power wheel composed of a rotating housing, a fixed cylinder within said housing provided with a piston reciprocated by the rotation of said housing. said cylinder having'air chambers at both ends of said piston provided with check valves controlling the passage of air into said chambers, said piston having a passage admitting air under pressure from one of said chambers to the other ot said chambersJ a cheek. valve controlling the passage of air from said last-mentioned chamber, and a elieok valve controllingv said piston passage and operated to open said passage as the piston reaches the limit ot its movement in one direction.

6, An air-compressing apparatus comprising a power Wheel Composed of a rotating housing7 a iixed cylinder Within said housing` provided with a pair of oppositely moving pistons reeiproeated by the rotation of said housing, said cylinder having` an outer air chamber at the outer face of eaeh of said pistons7 and said housing providing an inner air Chamber between said pistons, means for Conducting air to said inner and outer chambers. cheek valves controlling the admission oiI air to said chambers, said pistons having valved passages admitting air under pressure :from said outer Chambers to said inner chamber, and a Cheek valve controlling` the passage of air from said inner chamber.

7. An air-compressing apparatus comprising a power Wheel composed of a rotating housing, a fixed Cylinder Within said housing` provided with a pair of oppositely moving` pistons reeiprocated by the rotation of said housing, said Cylinder having an outer air chamber opposite the outer face oit' each ot said pistons, and said housing providing an inner air chamber between said pistons,

means for Conducting air to said inner and outer chambers7 Cheek valves controlling the admission of air to said Chambers, said pistons having passages admitting air under pressure from said outer chambers to said inner chamber, a cheek valve controlling the outlet of air from said inner chamber, and valves controlling` said piston passages and operated to open said passages as said pistons respectively reaeh the outer limits of their movement.

In Witness whereof I alix my signature.

GEORGE W. JOHNSTON. 

